Jude Porter and the Chamber of Monsters
by Gamer AlchemistZ
Summary: Sequel to Lightning Stone. Starting his 3rd year at Hogwarts with James and Emma, Jude knows that it's not going to be easy. What with new classes and Lazarus still after him, nothing is going to be simple anymore. All he can really count on are his friends and quidditch. It would also help him immensely if these stupid creatures didn't pop out of nowhere all the time.
1. Quidditch World Cup

**Jude Porter and the Chamber of Monsters**

Two months had passed since school had ended, but in Jude's mind, it felt like two years. Hannah and Neville did put restrictions on him; which meant no quidditch practicing in his free time and no contacting his friends for a month. He was just glad they didn't ban him from going to the world cup with the Potters, Weasleys, and Emma. That would've broken his fragile heart.

He was still waiting for the day to come. The tickets had said sometime in late August, and each day that passed he could feel his body shake in anticipation. And so, after waiting and waiting, the day before the world cup finally came.

Which meant Emma was coming to sleep over.

"Jude," Hannah called from the stairs, breaking the boy's concentration on the spell he was currently reading about. "Emma's here for you."

Jude perked up, setting his wand on his nightstand quickly and bolting out of his room. He grinned when he saw his red haired best friend, "Emma, hey! Come on up."

Emma smiled at him before thanking Hannah and following her friend up the stairs. Jude fell back on his bed once they both entered. He grinned once more, "Welcome to my humble abode. I know it's not much to you, but…" His grin softened as he gazed around his room. "It's home to me."

"It's fine," Emma replied with a wave of her hand. "I'm not gonna judge you on your room, Jude. You're my best friend and friends don't do that."

"That's good," He murmured before grabbing the book he had been reading. "I've been catching up on some spells since Hannah and Neville grounded me. They didn't let me practice on my broomstick so I didn't really have much to do."

She groaned, sitting on his bed with him, "Tell me about it. Mum and Dad don't let me practice either. As much as they love me and accept me being a witch, they don't really want me flying all around the backyard."

He frowned, "That just sucks." He stretched, lying back on his pillows. "So for the sleeping arrangements; do you want to get another room, or you can take my bed while I sleep on the floor? Whichever one is fine with me."

"I don't want to rid you of your bed," She stated with a shake of her head. "You should have a good night sleep before the world cup."

"Emma," He began with an incredulous gaze. "I literally slept in a room that had a hole in the roof and my mattress was the size of a newspaper. I'm sure I can survive sleeping on the floor just once while you're here."

She gave a small shudder, her nose scrunching in disgust, "I don't like hearing about the man who took care of you before. It's horrible to think that you were treated that way."

"Yeah well," He shrugged, pushing his glasses up. "I don't really remember anything, so I guess I was just glad I some kind of roof over my head." He patted her back reassuringly, "Come on. Let's do something fun."

By fun, he meant flying and practicing on their broomsticks. Emma was glad she had brought hers, but, unfortunately, it would never compare to Jude's lightning bolt which was still the fastest broomstick. With him being on that plus him being as skilled as he was, he easily beat her on any race they had.

They were called inside later on where they ate dinner with Hannah and Neville and talked about how excited and happy they were to be able to go to the world cup which they thanked the couple once more for the tickets.

After helping Hannah with all the dishes, they got ready for bed. Emma had taken his bed while he set up some blankets and pillows on the ground next to it. Once settled in, lights off and everything, they closed their eyes and waited for sleep.

"Emma?" Jude whispered from his spot below the bed. "You still up?"

A beat of silence passed before she answered, "What is it, Jude?"

He swallowed, playing with his fingers timidly, "What…what are your parents like?"

He glanced up when he heard shuffling from his bed and saw her green eyes peek over the bed. She let out a small smile, "They're great parents, Jude. They accept me for who I am, and love me more every day."

"That's good," He smiled back, feeling tears swell his eyes. "I just don't know what it's like, and since I wouldn't ask James because I don't like Mr. Potter, I wanted to know what yours were like."

"It's fine, Jude," Emma whispered in reply.

"Yeah," Jude sniffled. He cleared his throat lightly, "Hey, E-" He cut himself off when he glanced up at Emma's sleeping face. His face softened into a smile, "Goodnight, Emma."

…

"It's okay, Jude. It'll pass," Hannah soothed, rubbing the boy's back when he dry heaved once more after they apparated onto the Weasleys lawn.

Jude breathed deeply, hoping any kind of air would soothe his heated throat. Emma rubbed her head, hoping to right the world back. She was taking it better than Jude even though it was her first time. He'd be embarrassed about it later.

"Ooh, ooh, ooh," Mrs. Weasley came running out, a wash cloth in her hands. "Oh, Jude, deary, are you alright?"

Jude laughed shakily, nodding, "I'm alright, Mrs. Weasley. I just still haven't gotten the hang of apparation yet." He cleared his throat and put his hand on Emma's arm, giving her a push forward, "I'd like you to meet Emma Thorne. She's mine and James' best friend."

Mrs. Weasley smiled widely, shaking a startled Emma's hand, "Oh, it's nice to meet you, Emma. James has told me a lot about you."

"He has?" Emma blushed. She gave a small kick to Jude when he snickered into his palm.

"Jude! Emma!" James called out as he ran out of the house. "Are you ready?"

"Sure am," Jude grinned, forgetting about his almost upchuck no less than a minute ago. "How are we getting there? Are we flying?"

James shook his head, "Too many broomsticks. We're going by portkey."

"Portkey?" Emma perked up excitedly.

"Portkey?" Jude echoed confusedly.

James nodded before turning to Mrs. Weasley and kissing her on the cheek, "I'll see you later, Grandma."

Mrs. Weasley smiled and hugged him, "Oh, you kids have fun. Tell me who wins this year."

"Of course," James smiled back.

Hannah grabbed Jude by the shoulders, "Okay, you've got everything right?"

"Yes, Hannah," Jude nodded, his lips twitching into a smile. It was nice when someone cared for him. He could feel warmth bursting in his chest. "We double checked before we left, remember?"

Neville patted his head with a smile, "She's just making sure. You have fun now, alright? Don't worry about anything other than the game."

"Right," Jude replied.

Hannah kissed his head quickly, "I'll see you in a few days. Be safe." They quickly said hello to everyone before Apparating.

"Come on," James grabbed them by their arms and dragged them quickly to the back of the Burrow. "We're just about to leave."

They went to the back where the Potters, the Weasleys, and Teddy were waiting. "Right," Harry said, gesturing to the boot in the middle of the backyard. "Shall we then?"

Jude frowned, "What are we supposed to be doing?"

James rolled his eyes good naturedly, shoving his best male friend forward, "Just follow my lead."

Jude followed James as everyone lay on the ground, all touching the boot. Right as he put his finger on the boot as well, being the last one, he felt a sharp jolt in his stomach before they were suddenly being transported.

He shouted out in the air as the boot slipped from his grasp. He was surprised it lasted that long seeing as how there were so many of them touching it. His body slammed on the floor roughly, as did most of the others around him.

He groaned at the pain pulsing through his back. After getting his bearings in check, he stood up, hissing at the sharp pain radiating in his back. As he brought his gaze back to the sky, he could see the adults in the group easily running down from the sky.

"Alright-y then," George grinned, already running down the hill. "Let's unpack and get ready for the game."

Jude followed James and Emma as everyone else began running down the hill. He gaped in shock at all of the tents that were on the ground. So many people were camping out for the world cup. He wondered if they were gonna find a place big enough for all of them. After all, there were at least 25 of them all together.

"Hey, Jude," A slightly familiar voice greeted him.

Jude blinked, glancing up at the voice and was met with the familiar blue hair of Teddy Lupin. He smiled in greeting, "Hey, Teddy. How are you?"

"I'm fine," Teddy grinned back. "You excited for this? I know it's your first time here."

Jude nodded sheepishly, feelings his cheeks heat up a bit, "Yeah. I really don't know that much about the wizarding world, but if there's one thing I understand, it's quidditch."

Teddy chuckled, "That's good to hear."

Jude furrowed his brow when he gazed around, noticing the unfamiliar landscape, "Where are we anyways? I don't think I've ever seen this place before."

"We're in Brazil," Teddy answered, snickering at Jude's gaping face. "Yeah, I know. Portkeys can really take you far." He patted the younger male's shoulder. "Come on; we're sharing a tent with the other guys."

Jude blinked at the tent they had stopped at, watching as Teddy, Louis, and Fred went inside easily. Wasn't it going to be super cramped in there? Bracing himself, he walked in slowly and almost fell over at how big it was on the inside.

James laughed at his flabbergasted face, taking his bag and putting it next to his, "Hurry, Jude. The first game is about to start. It's Poland vs. New Zealand."

After everyone was ready, they were rushed to a large stadium where Jude could only gape in awe. The first game went by quickly with New Zealand winning. The games kept on until the quarter finals.

The next day was the quarter finals. Jude was a bit bummed that England lost while James was angry that Bulgaria lost to Ireland. When Jude asked, James explained that it was because they won last year and he got to meet Viktor Krum; one of the best seekers of their time. He then jokingly said Jude would probably make it to the world cup as well which made the boy blush modestly.

The day after that were the semi finals where they watched while biting on their nails anxiously. Jude was sure Emma burst his ear drum from her excited scream when Brazil and Japan were in the finals. He had told Emma just that when she told him it wasn't her that screamed. Fred only laughed sheepishly beside him.

The day of the finals, he was sure they had screamed themselves hoarse. He wasn't sure who exactly they were rooting for. In the end, Brazil just barely beat Japan with 50 points in the lead. The entire stadium was rocked by the cheers of the fans. Jude thought to himself that he was going to have to start looking up professional quidditch teams to get with the program.

That night, they were all tuckered out and almost passed out on their beds. Jude stared at the top of ceiling, wondering when sleep was going to claim him. He frowned, knowing it wouldn't come anytime soon, and stood from his bed, tiptoeing out of the tent quietly.

He walked out, smiling at the people who were still awake. He wandered out in the clearing where no one else was at and stared at the stars. A part of him wondered if this year was going to cut him slack.

As he brought his gaze down from the stars, he felt his body stiffen when he caught sight of a black creature staring back at him, ways away from him. He swallowed roughly, wondering what it was then cursing himself for barely knowing anything about the wizarding world.

He thanked Merlin when the creature ran back into the large trees behind. He let loose the breath he was holding and quickly made his way back to the tent he was residing in. He was going to take that as sign; Lazarus was still out there and out for his blood.


	2. 3rd Year

**Chapter 2**

After the world cup, Jude and Emma had gone back to their respective homes where they rested for a couple of days before they were off to Diagon Alley for their new books that they had been assigned for their new classes.

Once they had all their books, they said goodbyes to their families and boarded the train. Jude greeted Lily and Hugo who were happy they got to finally begin their first year in Hogwarts.

"So," Jude began, grunting as he shoved his last case of luggage on the rack in the train. "When do we get to go to Hogsmeade anyways?"

"Sometime in the winter, or so my dad says," James answered, popping one of the jelly beans in his mouth from the bag Emma had purchased. "It's nice around that time. There's snow everywhere and the butterbeer from the Three Broomsticks is warm and nice."

"Or so your dad says," Jude added with a small smile. He sat down next to James, smiling at Emma. "What are you going to do first?"

The red head shrugged, "Don't know. I do want to try the butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks, and maybe shopping at the other places they have to offer."

"That sounds fun," Jude mumbled, staring at the window. "I'm just glad Neville and Hannah signed the paper. I thought they wouldn't because of what happened several months ago."

"My mum signed it pretty quickly," James stated. He stared at the card in his hands from the chocolate frog he was currently chewing on. He tsked, throwing the card down, "Great. I got another one of my dad."

Jude took it, flicking it out of the compartment. He then shut the door after it fell on the floor. He then sat back on his seat, patting his knees, "Well, I'm just excited to go to Hogsmeade. This year is just a bit refreshing."

Emma nodded with a smile, "I was really happy that we got to go to not only the world cup, but Brazil as well. It was great seeing such a different place than you're used to."

James made a noise around the chocolate in his mouth. He squinted his eyes as he rummaged through his pocket before pulling out two tickets. He grinned after finishing the chocolate frog, "My mum has season tickets to the European quidditch games. I asked her if I could go with her since she's senior quidditch correspondent at the _Daily Prophet._"

"That's amazing," Emma said, eyes bright in awe.

At Jude's confused gaze, he clarified, "She works for a wizarding newspaper. Like how my Aunt Luna's dad is the editor for _The Quibbler._" He scratched his chin in thought, "Hey, now that I think about it, Lorcan and Lysander should be coming to Hogwarts next year."

"So European Quidditch?" Jude piped up questioningly, peeking at the tickets in his friend's hand. "Are those the same teams as the World Cup?"

James shook his head, handing the two the tickets, "No. European Quidditch is a whole different league of teams like Holyhead Harpies, Puddlemere United, and all that. Don't worry; I'll tell you about them when we get to school."

"Thanks, James."

"Thank you so much, James."

The boy shrugged with a smile, "No problem."

Moments after that, the train stopped, signaling their arrival at Hogwarts. They grabbed their luggage from the train and hurried off. They were escorted with the 4th and 2nd years to the Great Hall.

Jude sat at the Gryffindor table when they were allowed to enter next to James who sat with Emma on his other side. He saw Professor Alexander conversing with Professor Harmon and Professor Flitwick. He conversed for a few minutes with some of the others at the table before Neville entered the Great Hall with all the first years.

As Neville walked next to the Sorting Hat, it began a tune for the nervous looking first years. He clapped with everyone else when the song was over and quieted when Neville cleared his throat. "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and be sorted into your new houses." He glanced down at the list, "Anderson, Ira."

A short, tanned girl went up to the stool and sat on it delicately. Jude could see her wince when the hat was put on her head. It screamed, "RAVENCLAW!"

He clapped with everyone else at that as the girl eagerly ran to said table. "Arnold, Monica."

Another girl ran up and sat on the stool. A moment after the hat was on her head, it shouted, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Beck, Rolando."

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Brown, Florence."

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Cox, Clarence."

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Curtis, Anna."

"RAVENCLAW!"

Jude watched as more first years went up and clapped even harder when some were sorted into Gryffindor. He felt he should since he could see Louis almost jumping out of his seat when they were.

After many names were rattled off, Neville landed on, "Potter, Lily."

Lily ran up eagerly, grinning at Neville who gave her a wide smile and put the hat on her head. It screamed, "GRYFFINDOR!"

He cheered loudly with the rest of the table when Lily ran towards them. It was nice having her around instead of Albus. Now that he really thought about it, since Albus was a year younger than him, he never really worried about him unless it came to quidditch. He mentally groaned; now that he was a 2nd year, he was going to try as hard as he could to take his spot on the team.

He knew Neville got to the end of the list when he said, "Weasley, Hugo."

Hugo was so pale, anyone could see his freckles no matter how far they were sitting. He sat on the stool shakily, flinching when the hat was placed on his head. It was only a moment before the hat yelled, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Color began to flood back into the poor boy's face as he jumped off the stool and ran towards the table, sitting next to Lily. Jude noticed that even though he looked relieved, he was still as pale as before.

"Weasley, Lucy."

Lucy, the strawberry blonde with thin framed glasses Jude had met during Christmas break last year, strode up to the stool. Neville put the hat on her head where it yelled, "RAVENCLAW!"

She confidently walked over to the Ravenclaw table. One boy was after that before the sorting ceremony ended. Professor Flitwick said a few words before they dug into their feast. After gorging himself on a lot of meats and desserts, Jude was ready to pass out.

James dragged him to the dorms once they were dismissed where he sluggishly changed into his pajamas. He burped a goodnight to his best friend and fell asleep before his head hit the pillow.


	3. Classes

**Chapter 3**

Jude frowned as he read over the schedule in his hands. His schedule was looking a little too long for him. Still, if he thought _his_ schedule looked long, he didn't even want to glance at Emma's. "You know, maybe I shouldn't have put Divination. Maybe I should've just stuck with Muggle Studies and Care for Magical Creatures."

Emma narrowed her eyes at them as they began walking to their first class, "Honestly, Jude. Don't sell yourself short. I'm sure you can handle any class you take. Besides, even though we have to take final exams, we don't have to worry about O.W.L.s just yet."

"Why would I worry about Hestia?" Jude raised an utterly confused eyebrow. What did his lovely owl have to do with this?

James snickered, patting his friends, "She means Ordinary Wizarding Level tests. They're what we have to take our fifth year. It determines what classes we should or shouldn't take our sixth year. It lasts for about two weeks."

Jude gasped dramatically, "That's horrible."

Emma rolled her eyes at the laughing boys, "In our seventh year, we take N.E.W.T.; Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test which helps us pursue a career after we graduate. Only the students with the best grades get the job they want."

"That's only if you want to work for the Ministry of Magic," James added. "Usually, if your results aren't that bad, you can get any other job if you want like being a professor here, Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, or Dumstrang Institute. You could also be a quidditch player if you were really good."

Jude narrowed his eyes, his vision blurring despite his glasses, "There are other wizarding schools?"

"Yes, Jude," Emma answered. "Beauxbatons is in Southern France while Dumstrang is in Bulgaria."

James nodded and continued for his friend, "My Aunt Fleur went to Beauxbatons with her sister. Viktor Krum, the seeker I told you about, went to Dumstrang. They both competed in the Triwizard Tournament with my dad and another student from Hogwarts."

Before Jude could open his mouth and ask what the Triwizard tournament was, they arrived at their first class. They quickly took their seats while the teacher began the class. Since the classes were the same as last year, the only new teacher was their D.A.D.A. teacher.

Professor Alexander was as nice as always. Jude spent most of the class staring at her. He was always brought out of his daze when James smacked the back of his head when she wasn't looking. He grinned sheepishly when Emma shook her head exasperatedly.

Herbology was fun since Jude always enjoyed Neville's class. He really knew how to connect with his students and never made them feel like they were stupid for asking questions. He never asked questions in Professor Young's class since she yelled at him playing around with a few potions.

Professor Lively was a bit fun this year. They learned a little more about charms than they did last year. Professor Walton's class was always great to be in since Transfiguration was one of Jude's favorite subjects.

After lunch, Emma had to pull Jude away from his 5th dish, they went to their D.A.D.A. class where they caught sight of their new professor; Tony Beckett. He was of average height with reddish-brown hair and brown eyes. He seemed easy going from how often he smiled at his students.

After that class, Emma made her way to her Ancient Runes while Jude and James made their way to Divination class. Once there, Jude furrowed his brow at the small tables that were their desks. He sat down next to James and put his bag on the floor.

He stiffened when he felt long, cold fingers grasp his face tightly. He laughed uneasily when he caught sight of Professor Trelawney. "Uh…afternoon, Professor."

"Professor?" James questioned cautiously.

Professor Trelawney's stony face beamed at him suddenly, "Oh, how could no one tell me before? This is wonderful, absolutely wonderful." She let go of his face and lowered him to his seat. "Would you like anything to drink? Some tea maybe?"

"I'm fine, Professor," Jude replied slowly. Maybe this was why so many students had called her a loon.

"Please," Trelawney grasped his hand tightly, staring into his eyes. "Do not hesitate to tell me if you need anything. It will be my pleasure to assist you."

He smiled forcefully, "Right."

As she walked back to her desk, he glanced at James who only shrugged in response. The rest of class went off nicely. Trelawney only acted weird again when she said goodbye to him by asking him if she did well to which he told her she did.

They made it to Care for Magical Creatures which was another class Jude wished he could change. Once he stepped foot there, all the creatures practically bowed to him much to James' amusement.

Hagrid walked up, gazing at the creatures confusedly, "What 'er ya doin'? Up an' at 'em. The kids 'er 'ere." After getting them all up, he cleared his throat, "Right. Anyways; I'm your professor Rubeus Hagrid and this is Care fer Magical Creatures. Today, we'll be learnin' about Hippogriffs."

He brought one of the Hippogriffs forward. James grinned, leaning towards Jude to whisper, "That's Buckbeak. My dad actually owns him but he lets him run with the other Hippogriffs."

"Now, who 'ere wants to ride Buckbeak first?" Hagrid asked eagerly, not noticing how mostly everyone took a step back. He grinned, barely noticeable by his beard, and gestured towards Jude, "You there. Come 'ere."

Jude glanced around, wondering who he was talking to when he noticed he was the only student in the front. James only shrugged uselessly. Jude nodded before walking up to Hagrid.

"Alright," Hagrid began, putting his large hand on Jude's shoulder. "What's yer name, son?"

"Jude Porter, sir," Jude answered, glancing up at the man.

Hagrid nodded with a smile, "Alright then, Jude, now Hippogriffs are proud creatures. If you don' approach them right, yer gonna regret it. They need to be treated with respect." He patted his back, "Now, bow to Buckbeak 'ere and never break eye contact. Don' even blink. And wait for him to bow back before you straighten."

Jude swallowed before he bowed, keeping his eyes on the Hippogriff. Immediately after his bow, Buckbeak bowed to him as well. He didn't notice all the other creatures bowing as well.

He straightened, keeping eye contact as Hagrid continued slowly, "Hold yer hand out, and slowly approach 'im. Let him make the first move."

As he held out his hand, Buckbeak walked towards him and let himself be petted by the boy. Jude smiled, moving his hand slowly over the Hippogriff's feathers. "Very good, Jude. That's wonderful." He came up and patted Jude on the back. "Now you can ride 'im."

"What?" Jude snapped his eyes towards Hagrid, startled as the man easily hoisted him up and put him on the Hippogriff. He clenched his jaw, his hands holding Buckbeak's feathers tightly, "Uh, Professor. I don't think this is such a good-whoa!"

He was cut short when Buckbeak galloped and suddenly jumped into the air. Jude breathed shakily as his hands were woven tightly in the feathers. His heart beat slowed when he caught sight of Hogwarts from how high they were in the air.

After the ride with Buckbeak, James got to participate as well before they had to go to their next class; Muggle Studies. The professor, Shannon Wainscot, was actually a very kind lady who was a muggle-born which Emma was happy about. Jude knew most of the stuff that was taught, as did Emma, but James was puzzled about everything.

They made it down to dinner later on. Jude dug into his meal as Emma talked about her other classes. "…Professor Newton was very intellectual while Professor Ronan only really talked about the basics today. I really think I'm going to like those classes." She took a sip of her pumpkin juice before addressing her friends, "How were your classes?"

James snorted into his dinner roll, "Professor Trelawney startled Jude by grabbing his face first thing, and then continued to act all weird by asking him how he was doing in the middle of class."

Jude nudged his friend with a frown, "Leave it be, mate. It's not like any of us know what's going on."

"What about Care for Magical Creatures?"

"We got to ride Buckbeak; a Hippogriff," James explained before snickering. "All the creatures there kept hounding Jude for some reason. They really liked."

Jude groaned as Emma giggled with James. He wasn't gonna get any slack from these two. "Porter!" He groaned again when he heard a familiar voice.

Carlos grinned as he sat next to the boy as Jared took a seat across from them. James glared at Leon who smiled at Emma and began conversing with her. Jude could sense James' anger spiking when he heard that Leon had taken the same classes as Emma.

He sighed mentally as Carlos kept pestering him about his summer. This was never going to be a peaceful year. He didn't know why he even thought it would be.


	4. Quidditch

**Chapter 4**

While Jude looked forward to quidditch and anything involved with quidditch, this year, he was not at all excited for quidditch tryouts. Him being in his 3rd year of Hogwarts meant Albus was in his 2nd, and most likely trying out for the quidditch team; specifically the seeker position.

Though James and Emma told him not to worry about it since there was no way Olivia would ever switch him out, the fact that Albus came from a family of quidditch players, especially former Gryffindor seeker Harry Potter and former Holyhead Harpies chaser Ginny Weasley made him a bit nervous about his position.

He didn't know how he was so good at being a seeker, but he just like to call it natural talent. Actually, James, Olivia, Fred, Roxanne, and Louis called it that. He called it luck; a lot of luck.

"You alright, Jude?" Olivia asked as she flew over to him on her broomstick. "You excited for this year?"

Jude nodded a bit nervously, gripping his broomstick anxiously in his hands as he floated as well, "Uh…yeah. I guess you could say that. I always look forward to Hogwarts every year."

Louis grinned as the upper half of his body was laying on his broomstick, "I usually do too, but not this year. I don't want to take those stupid O.W.L.s. I dread 5th year."

Kelli rolled her eyes as Simon chuckled with the other beater. Jude assumed it was because since it was both of their 6th years, and they had already taken O.W.L.s and had to now study for N.E.W.T.s. Olivia had to take that as it was her last year, which was why she was ready to train everyone harshly so they could win the quidditch cup for her 7th year. Also because she was getting scouted in every game.

Jude was taken out of this thoughts when James, Emma, Leon joined them while Albus and a few others showed up behind them. He tightened his grip on the broom when he stared at Albus. The boy ignored his stare as he listened to Olivia explain the tryouts.

The students trying out for chasers would go with James, Emma, and Kelli. The students trying out for beaters went with Louis and Simon. The students trying out for keeper would go with Olivia and students trying out for seeker would go with Jude. Unfortunately for Jude, only Albus was trying out for seeker.

Since no one was trying out for keeper, Olivia chose to help Jude with Albus. "Alright then, Potter," Olivia began before scratching her head. "Younger Potter, I mean. I'm going to throw some small balls in the air to see if you can catch them. If you can catch all of them, you'll be going to go against Jude in seeing who can catch the last one the fastest."

Albus nodded, readying himself on his broomstick; James bitterly said it was his father's Firebolt. It was fast, and since Albus was experienced, he would be pretty good at being seeker. That only frightened Jude a bit. Just a bit.

Olivia threw the ball, starting the small challenge. Jude felt air burst on the side of his face as Albus flew off toward the ball. He caught it in two minutes while Olivia threw another. It had taken him less than 30 minutes to catch all of them.

"Well okay then," Olivia said, raising her eyebrows at the younger male. "Now, let's start the last trial. Are you ready, boys?"

Both boys nodded, stiffly waiting for the ball to launch. Olivia cocked her arm back before letting the ball fly. She flinched when the boys flew pass barely a second after she had thrown the ball.

Jude laid his body on his broom, going faster than before. He was lucky his Lightningbolt went way faster than any Firebolt. He narrowed his eyes when they landed on the small ball ahead of him. He snarled when he felt Albus barely bumping into his shin.

He hitched his body up, putting his feet onto his broom and placing one hand in between them. He stood on his broom, bending his knee. He extended one hand and threw his body backwards. His hand caught the ball as he finished the spin the broomstick.

He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the dizziness and raced back towards Olivia. He grinned as he held the ball up. His captain smiled and caught it when he threw it towards her, "I expected nothing less from you, Jude."

Albus flew back over, his face in the one of the angriest scowls he had ever seen; and he lived with Piers. Luckily, the boy said nothing more and accepted his quidditch fate.

A week later, the tryout results were posted. Only Albus had made it, albeit being a reserve.

…

Jude floated in the air with his teammates, waiting for Professor Harmon to start the match. He was a bit nervous since Olivia drilled it in their heads that they had to absolutely, positively win all the games this year since she was being scouted for one of the best teams in European quidditch which made her nervous as well.

"_Good afternoon, ladies and gents,_" A Gryffindor 5th year announced lively to the crowds. "_Today marks the first match of the year; the fine Gryffindor vs. the self-righteous Slytherin_."

"_Conners!_" Professor Alexander's voice was heard, scolding the boy.

Conners laughed, "_Sorry, sorry. Anyways, on the Slytherin team, we have the captain and one of the chasers; 6__th__ year Brady Chase. With him are the two other chasers; 5__th__ year Cheryl Stacks and 4__th__ year Danny Simmons. For the beaters, we have 7__th__ year Clarence Bastille and Brendan Solace. For the keeper, we have 6__th__ year Michael Craver. For the seeker, we have 2__nd__ year Scorpius Malfoy. Is this boy ready to get his arse handed to him or what?_"

"_CONNERS_!" Jude winced at Professor Alexander's angry voice while Louis was cackling loudly; Conners was one of his best friends. A glance down showed Jude that Professor Harmon was grinning amusedly.

"_Right, right,_" Conners replied sheepishly before clearing his throat. "_On the Gryffindor team, we have the lovely and powerful captain and keeper; 7__th__ year Olivia Wood, ladies and germs._" The crowd roared at that while Olivia only smiled and waved politely.

"_Continuing; For our chasers, we have 6__th__ year Kelli Sharp, and 3__rd__ year James Potter and Emma Thorne. For the beaters, we have 6__th__ year Simon Boone and the awesome and amazing 5__th__ year Louis Weasley. YOOO!_"

"YOOO!" Louis echoed back with a wide grin.

"_And last but not least, the one and only, 3__rd__ year Jude Porter. Everyone give it up for the golden boy!_" Jude blushed at the loud cheers and squeals he heard from the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff house. Professor Harmon, Professor Alexander, and Neville were cheering him on as well which only served to embarrass him even more.

"_With Professor Harmon as the ref, she will start this match._"

After Professor Harmon gave the instructions and rules of the game, she let the balls loose into the sky. Jude shot off to the side while the keepers went to their respective sides, the beaters fought with the bludger, and the chasers of both teams went against each other.

Jude glanced at Scorpius who looked a bit nervous on his broom. He couldn't blame him; he was nervous his first game to. No amount of training could've prepared him for the actual game.

"_And Olivia blocks an incoming shot from Chase. Seriously, Olivia, tell me how you do it? How do you keep looking so beautiful every time you play?_"

"_I'm warning you, Mr. Conners._"

It had only taken five minutes to hear the snitch. Five minutes of Conners announcing and Emilie warning him every time he said something inappropriate about either teams. It was amusing really. It was the first time he had seen his professor flustered.

He shot off on his broom, Scorpius flying after him a second later. "_Oh, and it looks like Jude has found the snitch. Look out, little Malfoy, you're in over your head now._"

Jude sped up as he could see the golden ball zipping around in front of him. He grunted when he suddenly felt his broomstick being pushed to the side. He glanced down, seeing a flash of black before he was thrown off his broom and thrown into the staff seating.

He groaned, feeling the broken wooden bench sting his back. "Are you alright, Jude?" Professor Alexander asked worriedly as the rest of the teachers walked over to him.

"_And Porter was thrown off his broom,_" Conners continued his commentary. "_What's going to happen now that Malfoy is gaining on the snitch?_"

Before Emilie could open her mouth to scold the announcer, Jude shot up and ran to the edge of tower. He saw the snitch coming up with Scorpius and his broom right behind. He jumped onto the beam, balancing himself so he wouldn't fall off the tower, and ran towards the end before jumping.

The crowd screamed in fright as he free fell. He was caught seconds later by his broom which righted him and shot off towards the snitch quickly. He could hear Conners laugh into the mic, "_Well would you look at that? Jude was thrown off his broom, but that didn't stop him from continuing. Now that's a true player right there._"

Jude outstretched his arm, his fingers closing around the snitch as Scorpius was trying to bump his hand away. Unfortunately for the blond Slytherin, he was no match for the dark haired Gryffindor.

He raised his arm high, stopping in the middle of the pitch, and showed everyone the snitch held in his hand. Everyone, minus the Slytherin house, cheered, "_There you have it, folks. With Jude catching the snitch, that ends the game at 550-120 with Gryffindor winning. Hand over the money, Montgomery. I told you it was wrong to bet against Porter._"

"_Conners, I swear to Merlin-_"

"_You shouldn't swear, Professor Alexand-no, please! I'll stop, I promise!_"


	5. Learning of Great Beasts

**Chapter 5**

"Okay, kids. Your homework is reading chapter 10-12 tonight and writing a summary on it," Professor Beckett said to the class as the students gathered their things into their bags. "It won't be due till next since you will be going Hogsmeade tomorrow. So have a good day."

Jude sighed, shifting his bag on his shoulder as he followed his fellow classmates out of the classroom. He caught up with James and Emma as they made their way to the Gryffindor common room. He was glad the homework wasn't much, but he still didn't like homework. He hoped Emma would help him this time and not spend all her time with Leon.

He set his stuff down on one of the small tables with James and Emma and brought out the text book they were supposed to be reading, "I wanna get this done as quickly as possible. I wanna be able to go to Hogsmeade as a free man."

James groaned, twirling his quill between his fingers, "I hear what you're saying, mate, but I really don't want to do this right now."

"Which is why we'll do it together," Emma insisted, already flipping to the chapter. "We always get our work done faster that way."

Jude sniffed, putting a hand on his heart dramatically, "Bless your soul, Emma."

Emma smiled amusedly, "Whatever. You've boys have been like this since the first year. I can't have you falling behind on me."

James grinned, "You're so good to us, Em."

The red head gave him a flat look while Jude snickered discreetly in his hand at her slowly reddening cheeks. He flipped through the pages, finally finding the chapter they were supposed to read.

Silence drowned over the three of them, only broken by the incoming students who filed in and out of the common room. Jude waved hello to Lily, and Hugo who talked about their classes as well before realizing they were doing their homework and went on their way.

Rose happened to come to them as well, looking happy they were doing their homework before setting up shop on the table next to them. Albus came in minutes after her and sat down with Rose as they began their homework as well.

As Jude flipped to the last page, he furrowed his brow when his eyes landed on the picture in the middle of the page. It honestly looked like a black blanket, but he felt as if he had seen it before.

He winced when his scar burned. He brought his hand to the back of his neck, feeling the tips of his scar. James glanced up at him, worry in his eyes, "You alright, Jude? Is your neck bothering you?"

Jude shook his head, putting on a smile, "No, no. It's…I'm fine. Just felt a slight pinch in my neck is all." He rubbed his neck to show his friends.

James nodded in agreement, "My neck gets tired from reading too much too. It's hard to find a comfortable reading position." He stretched his arms, "It's a good thing I'm almost done with the summary."

Emma smiled, "Do you want me to help you finish it, James?"

"Why it would be an honor."

As the two began to go over James' summary, Emma having already finished hers, Jude moved his gaze back to the book in his hand and frowned, "Lethifold?"

A flash went through his mind. The black cloth looking thing looked familiar, but he didn't know why. Where had he seen such a creature before? Why did it look so familiar to him?


	6. Trip to Hogsmeade

**Chapter 6**

"Students," Professor Alexander began to the 3rd years in front of her, her breath misting in the air from how cold it was. "Today is our trip to Hogsmeade. You will be able to visit every shop in the village. You may buy what you like, but please do not get lost."

Jude rubbed his eyes under his glasses, walking with James and Emma through the village entrance. His mouth dropped open as he gazed at the shops in awe; he really needed to get out more. He had never seen so many beautiful shops before.

"It's great, isn't it, mate?" James grinned, rubbing his gloved hands together. "It's a bit cold, but it's still awesome being here. Come on."

He pushed the gaping Emma and Jude with him. They walked with him through the cold before they got to a flashing store with a giant head on the top that was moving its hat on and off its head.

James gestured to the shop, "Welcome to my uncle George's joke shop; Weasleys Wizards and Wheezes. One of the best shops in Hogsmeade really."

Jude breathed in awe, "This is wicked." Never before had he seen such a brightly, jovial shop. Then again, he didn't really go out much. Just thinking about it was kind of depressing to him. "Let's go check it out." He turned to his red head friend expectantly.

Emma shook her head regrettably, "Sorry. I'll meet up with you guys. I just really want to visit the other shops for school supplies. I promise, I'll meet up with you two later." She gave them a small wave before disappearing in the crowd.

"Bloody hell," James grumbled, kicking the snow. "I really wanted to see if I could creep her out with some of the stuff in there."

Jude rolled his eyes; yep, his friend was acting like most teen boys would when they had a crush on a girl. He nodded almost condescendingly while pushing his friend forward in the shop, "Yeah. Maybe next time, mate."

They walked into the shop with James shivering at the change in temperature. Jude gaped at the merchandise, wishing he had enough money to buy almost everything there. "Well, look-y here."

The blue eyed boy glanced up at the slightly familiar voice, meeting George's wide grin. He smiled in greeting, "Nice to see you again, George."

George gave him a wave of his hand in return, "You as well, Mr. Porter. I take it James showed you the way here?"

"That he did."

"Well now," George slid on the railing of the stairs towards them. He smirked mischievously, "James always gets a discount, so I won't mind giving you one as well. Choose whatever you like. First item on the house."

Jude beamed, "Wow, thanks George. That's great." He nudged his silent friend, "You're Uncle is great, James."

James merely grunted before going further into the shop. George furrowed his brow confusedly at the sight, "What's got his knickers in a twist?"

The younger male sighed, shaking his head, "He's got a crush on Emma. You remember her, right? She went with us to the World Cup?"

"Red head, right?"

"Right," Jude nodded, stuffing his hands in his coat pocket. "He's liked her since last year, but I don't think he really knows that he does. She doesn't notice and she always hangs out with this kid named Leon Adams. James gets really jealous every time he's around and starts lashing out at her and Leon."

George hummed, "Shame." He then grinned, "Would he hate it if I pranked him? That sounds like a good plan, right?"

Jude laughed, "I'm sure James would love it. What've you got in mind?"

The two spent the next half hour brainstorming pranks to use on Leon while James mindlessly wandered around the shop. Jude then bought a few joke items before he found his best friend who was conversing with the Pygmy Puffs.

They said goodbye to George and promised to return soon before they went to Three Broomsticks Inn. They sat down and ordered butterbeer. While they waited, Jude waved to Emma when she appeared at the entrance. He inwardly cursed when he saw Leon, Carlos, and Jared trailing behind her. He never had a problem with Jared; he actually found Jared a godsend since he seemed like the only one who could take care of Carlos.

"Jude!" Carlos exclaimed excitedly before wrapping his arms around the other boy.

Jude cried mentally, wondering why the boy did this all the time. He acted as if they weren't roommates or in the same year. They saw each other every day and every night, so why did he find it necessary to glomp him all the time?

Jared pulled his friend off the glasses wearing boy, "Come on, Carlos. Leave Jude alone. You know he's not used to your hugs yet."

Carlos whined with a pout, "But Jude's so warm. Feel him." He took Jude's hand despite his protest and rubbed it against his cheek, "It should be illegal to be this warm with this kind of weather going on."

Jared rolled his eyes, "Enough, Carlos." He grabbed Jude's hand from his friend's before he blinked in astonishment, "Oh wow that is warm."

Jude scrunched his lips before snatching his hand from the other boy. He turned around to James and found him glaring at Leon who now sat next to Emma as she sat between the two. He cleared his throat, "So, Emma. How'd you find these three anyways?"

Emma smiled, oblivious to James' glaring and Jude's tense form, "Well, when I left you two, I went to Tomes and Scrolls. I saw Leon there, so I decided to shop with him. When we got to Potage's Cauldron, we found Carlos and Jared. I asked if they wanted to join us in meeting you guys here."

"That's nice," Jude responded stiffly. He was glad when the butterbeer came. He downed it quickly while Emma and the others were ordering.

James scoffed while drinking his butterbeer as well, "Isn't she nice?" He mumbled to his friend quietly as Emma chatted with the other boys. "She asked them to come along with us. It was supposed to be only us."

Jude nodded as he scratched his head, "Yeah, I know, James. She really is nice like that." He glanced at Emma who was now laughing at one of Carlos' enthusiastic story telling. He turned back to James and noticed his harsh glare on the others.

He sighed heavily in his mind; how long was he going to have to wait before James realized his feelings? How long was it going to be when Emma noticed? And when was Carlos going to stop trying to grab his hand?


	7. Following A Beast

**Chapter 7**

Jude yawned, rubbing his eyes under his glasses as he tried to focus his tired eyes on the text book in front of him. He had studied with James and Emma during the day, but there was something about the creatures in the book that kept nagging at him in the back of his mind and making his scar burn.

He couldn't figure it out while he was with his friends, and he certainly didn't want to worry the two if it was actually nothing in the long run. It didn't help that they kept asking him what was wrong every time he so much as winced from the burning of his scar.

He sighed lightly, not wanting to wake his roommates even though they were used to Carlos' thundering snores. He slowly slipped out of his bed and grabbed his wand. He only made it a few steps before he stubbed his toe and cursed, "Bloody hell."

He stiffened when James stirred and turned to him, "What are you doing, mate?" His best friend slurred tiredly, squinting his eyes so hard it seemed like they were closed.

Jude put his finger to his lips, shushing his friend, "Don't worry, mate. I'm just gonna go pee real quick. Nothing to worry about. Go back to sleep."

James grumbled before turning back on his side away from Jude. The blue eyed boy sighed in relief silently and continued on his way out of the dorm. He walked out of the common room and continued down the stairs until he was in the halls.

"_Lumos_," He whispered and watched the tip of his wand light up brightly. It was a good thing it was 3 o'clock in the morning; no one would see him now. Then again, he didn't really get why he was so afraid of being seen. It's not like he was doing anything wrong. Right?

Right.

He made it to the restroom and did his business before walking out. He sighed happily, finally feeling a bit free from emptying his bladder. He felt like a balloon now. He could just fly off if he wasn't careful.

Anyways.

He said the lumos spell again and walked on back towards the staircase. He would've made without any incident if he didn't feel something crash into his leg and send him into the floor harshly.

Jude bit back a curse and held his wand up towards where the little black thing had run. He gulped in fear when he saw a blanket like thing slither on the ground away from him. He had seen enough movies to know that following it was a bad idea. But his scar was burning, and that meant answers.

He stood up and slowly followed the creature. It turned a corner and continued on down the hall. He glanced around and noticed he was by the Great Hall. Why had it come all the way down here? Was it looking for something?

He blinked when the creature slid under the door of a chamber just outside the Great Hall. He gazed at the blank door, wondering how he was supposed to get in if there was no handle for him to pull.

What was behind the door anyways?


	8. The Chamber

**Chapter 8**

Jude swallowed as he stared at the wall/door in front of him. There was something behind there, and if he knew anything, he knew that it had to do with Lazarus. The only thing he didn't know was; how was he going to open the entrance and what was behind it? What really made his scar so much?

He hesitantly lifted his hand and placed it on the cool marble of the wall/door. He jumped, startled when the door opened before him. That was weird.

He shook his head, breathing deeply to try and calm his rapid heartbeat. He slowly walked into the room and gazed around the dark room. "_Lumos_," He whispered causing the tip of his wand to light up.

His heart jumped to his throat when he noticed the dark creature before him. It seemed to hiss at him before turning away and scattering under some kind of coffin. He walked towards the tomb, flinching when he felt his scar burn even more. He could almost feel the sweat beading at his brow.

He had never sweated before. Not even after 10 hours of quidditch practice.

As he stood next to the coffin, he lifted his hand to try and touch it, to see if it would open like the door did. Just as his fingers were about to graze it, a voice suddenly whispered, "_Don't._"

Jude jolted, snatching his hand back quickly and waving his wand around to see if he could find the owner of the voice. No one was there.

It wasn't James. It sounded much older. It wasn't Emma. It sounded like a man's. It wasn't Lazarus'. It sounded gentler. It wasn't Neville's. It sounded much different. If it wasn't any of them, then who was it?

With a shake of his head, trying to gather his thoughts, he ran out of the room as fast as he could. The door shut just after he had stepped out.

His lungs burned by the time he made it back to the common room and he was glad he didn't trip and fall when he ran up the moving staircases. With a heavy sigh, hoping to regulate his breathing, he made it back to his dorm.

"_Nox,_" He whispered and the light in on his wand vanished. He set his wand on his nightstand and shuffled back into bed.

Before he fully succumbed to sleep, he made note that his scar wasn't burning so intensely anymore.


	9. Christmas Break

**Chapter 9**

Jude groaned miserably as he tried to still the world as he lay in one of the Weasleys spare beds. He didn't know why he still wasn't used to it, but he honestly didn't think he could handle anymore Apparation anymore. He preferred broomsticks no matter how weird it looked to Muggles.

James frowned as he stood next to him while Mrs. Weasley fussed over him, "Are you sure you're okay, mate? You look really pale."

"m'fine," Jude responded through garbled speech, lifting up his hand to wave it. "Just need to lay down for a bit."

"If you say so," James mumbled with a shake of his head. "I'm gonna go downstairs to tell Emma you're alright."

Jude made a noise of acknowledgement in the back of his throat as James walked out. The blue eyed boy smiled gratefully at Mrs. Weasley who put a cold towel on his forehead, "Thank you very much, Mrs. Weasley. I'm sorry I'm making such a fuss."

Mrs. Weasley waved her hand dismissively with a smile, "Oh nonsense. It's not your fault you don't like Apparation. Trust me; some of my kids didn't like it until they started doing it on their own."

He inhaled lightly with a small smile, "That's slightly reassuring." Now feeling a bit better than before, he sat up on the bed, "Thanks again for this. I'm really used to being doted upon so much but Hannah is getting me used to it."

"James told me you didn't know your parents," Mrs. Weasley responded, gently taking the now warm towel. She smiled a bit sadly, "You poor thing. You didn't have any aunts or uncles?"

He shook his head, using his shirt sleeve to wipe the small drops of water off his forehead, "None that I know of. I didn't even know my parents before they died, so it's kind of hard to try and look for them." He mustered up a smile, "But I'm glad I have Neville and Hannah. They take great care of me."

The Weasley matriarch smiled widely, running her fingers through the boy's hair, "I'm glad you're so happy, Jude. Now," She helped him up and led him to the door. "Let's get to the party with everyone else. We don't want to keep them waiting."

Jude smiled back as he was led down the stairs with her. When he arrived down stairs, Emma beamed as she walked up to him, "I'm glad you're okay. You must really not like Apparation if that's your reaction to it."

The blue eyed boy suppressed an embarrassed blush at her words; he was slightly irked that Emma got used to it on the second try while he still had trouble keeping his food down. He scratched his cheek as he gazed around at the party goers, "I'm just not used to it, is all. It'll be fine."

"Right," James mumbled playfully, grinning when his friend elbowed him. He patted his back, "Let's talk with the others, shall we?"

With a nod, Jude followed James as he took them to where most of the people their age were at. He joined in the conversation about school tests and classes. Louis was once again complaining about having to take O.W.L.s while Dominique was still trying to study for her N.E.W.T.s.

Jude was happy when the food arrived. He dug into the heavenly meals, ignoring Emma's scolding about his messy eating. He had to force his gaze away from his food when the door opened, revealing a reddish-brown haired, tall man with a blonde woman and twins who looked exactly like him.

"Aunt Luna!" Lily cried happily, running towards the blonde woman. She hugged her tightly, "It's so good to see you." She pulled away, smiling at the man, "It's nice to see you to, Uncle Rolf."

The man, Rolf, smiled back in greeting while the twins grinned widely, "Hi, Lily."

"Lorcan, Lysander," Lily ruffled their hair before taking Luna by the hand and leading her to the dining room where everyone was seated.

Everyone got up and greeted the new comers. James had whispered quickly that they were the Scamanders and Luna was a friend of his parents, his aunt Hermione, and his uncle Ron.

Emma had introduced herself, saying she was a big fan of Rolf's father, Newt; the man who had written _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. _Jude had read that book once and it was honestly fun to read.

Luna smiled lightly at him, and he hesitantly smiled back, "Hi, I'm Jude Porter." He held out his hand.

When the blonde shook his hand, he was surprised by the strong grip she had put on it before she pulled him in to look at his face closely. Her face lit up in what seemed like recognition, "Wow, I can't believe one actually exists."

He furrowed his brow confusedly, "Uh, excuse me?" He was getting more of this year than his first two years. It was getting a bit weird. "I don't-"

"Luna," Ginny stood, taking her friend by her shoulder and steering her towards the kitchen. "Why don't we get you guys something to eat?"

Jude barely made out Luna's voice as she and her family walked towards the kitchen, "_I didn't know you holding such a boy in your house._"

"_What do you mean?_" Ginny replied before the door closed, muffling their voices.

Jude shook his head, blinking widely as he sat with everyone else. He was grateful no one thought to bring it up.

.

_Everything was dark. It was like an abyss._

_The silence was getting louder._

_It was too hard to get out._

_Suddenly, thousands of red eyes appeared before him. The light came in, showing their gigantic pincers, dripping with an unknown liquid._

_They were coming closer. They looked ready to devour him._

"_JUDE!"_

.

Jude gasped in harsh breath of air as he shot up from his bed. He panted lightly, trying not to wake the others. He felt the burning from his scar slowly diminish.

He put his head in his hands, shocking himself when he felt sweat beading on his forehead. He swallowed dryly; he never once in his life ever had sweat. Not even a drop.

He shook his head before he slowly got up from his cot and tiptoed to the kitchen, hoping to get a glass of water. He felt a sense of déjà vu, realizing he had a hard time sleeping last year, but this time, it wasn't Fred's thunder snores.

He made it to the kitchen, taking his time trying to find a glass. Once he found one, he filled it with water and drank it in a few gulps.

He ran a hand over his face tiredly; what was going on with him?


	10. Jude's Birthday

**Chapter 10**

For Jude's 13 years of living, there was never a birthday that really stood out to him that he could remember fondly. Maybe those two years with his parents were good birthdays. He'd never know.

When he began living with Piers, he was surprised he remembered his birthday. Then again, it was because Piers always asked how old he was on that day, hoping he was still underage so he could get money.

So now, on his 14th birthday, someone jumping on his bed rudely awakened him. "Happy, happy birthday, Porter!"

Jude groaned miserably, opening his eyes to see 5 blurry figures before him. From the red hair, he could safely assume Emma was in the room. He sat up, with much difficulty since someone was sitting on his legs, and grabbed his glasses.

Once he had them on, he could clearly see Carlos sitting on his legs, James and Emma standing by his nightstand, and Jared and Leon at the end of his bed.

He squinted his eyes at all of them, "Um, hi?"

Suddenly, there were sparks flying around the room like firecrackers as they all shouted, "Happy birthday, Jude!"

He blinked, "Is it always going to be this loud?"

James grinned while patting his shoulder, "Get used to it, mate."

Jude shrugged helplessly, "If I have to." He put on a grin, "Thanks, everyone."

"Presents!" Carlos exclaimed excitedly, jumping off Jude's bed and legs, much to said boy's relief.

"P-presents?" Jude murmured a bit overwhelmed. He choked when he saw everyone holding a present in their hands. "R-really guys, you didn't have to-oof!"

He was cut off when Carlos jumped back into his bed and proceeded to go under the covers despite Jared's warnings. "We wanted to, Porter," Carlos grinned, putting his arm on Jude's shoulder. He gave the birthday boy his present, "Happy birthday."

Jude shrugged out of his arm and reluctantly took the present. The present was haphazardly wrapped, so he didn't care to be gentle with the wrapping as he tore it open. Inside the box was a plain Gryffindor scarf.

He blinked at Carlos who grinned widely, "You never wear your scarf even in the worst of weather, so I brought you one in case you lost yours. Now you don't have to be cold anymore."

"Thanks," Jude mumbled, not having the heart to tell the boy that he had about a handful of scarves and the only reason he didn't wear them was because he was seemingly impervious to cold weather.

He assumed Jared and Leon didn't get him anything since Emma was next. He smiled his thanks and gently opened the wrapping. He grinned when he saw a nice blue flannel in the box, "Thanks, Emma."

Emma smiled back happily, "I'm glad to be of assistance."

James smirked before handing his best friend his present, "Hope you like it. I'm not the best at giving presents, so I hope it's good."

"Even nothing would be great," Jude replied with a kind smile before opening the gift. He pulled out a poster of the Holyhead Harpies that was signed by all the players, including Ginny.

While he had never seen them play, and the only player he had ever met was Ginny and she didn't even play anymore, he was happy to receive a great gift from his favorite sport. And besides, James had also gotten him season tickets to the League Cup anyways.

Jude grinned at James and held out his hand. James grinned back and they proceeded to do their secret handshake, ignoring Carlos' whine at the display of friendship.

Jude pushed off his blankets, "I'm hungry. Let's get some breakfast." The others nodded in agreement and followed his example.

Almost an hour later, they were seated at the Great Hall with the birthday boy stuffing his face with as much bacon and sausage he could get his hands on. No one protested, and Carlos practically threw his food on the other boy's plate.

Jude suddenly choked on his sausage when a hard object smacked him in the head. Emma began patting his back while James took the package Hestia dropped off. Jude gasped for breath, "What is it?"

Taking that as his permission, James opened the package. He began to laugh as he shuffled through the letters in his hands, "You're certainly popular, mate."

"What?" Jude coughed and took the letters from his best friend's hand. His eyes widened when he realized that not only had Hannah sent him a letter, but so had Ginny, George & Angelina, Fred & Roxanne, Audrey, Bill & Fleur, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and Teddy & Victoire.

The blue-eyed boy dragged his gaze up to James and narrowed his eyes, "Just how many people did you tell?"

James shrugged, smiling amusedly, "What can I say? My family loves you."

Despite feeling a bit overwhelmed, Jude couldn't keep the wide smile off his lips. It was nice to know that the number of people who cared for him was now in the double digits.

After breakfast, they went to class where Jude had gotten more birthday wishes from his teachers. Neville had given him a small plant that was very beautiful. Professor Lively had done a charm that said happy birthday in sparkly letters. Professor Alexander told him happy birthday and ruffled his hair while giving him a bright smile. Jude would always deny the blush on his cheeks.

Hagrid had given him a small chocolate cupcake and proceeded to crush him in a bear hug. Buckbeak and the rest of the creatures crowed around him, some even gave him licks.

During quidditch practice, the team, minus Albus, practically threw him in the air while singing happy birthday. When practice was over, Olivia discreetly whispered that she would make him captain in maybe his 5th or 6th year. His smile was blinding after that.

All in all, Jude was glad for all his friends. They really cared for him; enough for him to cry tears of joy at the dinner feast where they brought out a small cake for him. Manly tears of joy, he claimed when his friends wouldn't stop laughing. Even some of the students in the other house were laughing with them as well.

It was nice to have a day where he didn't have to worry about the future, and only what was happening in front of him.


	11. Second Game

**Chapter 11**

A couple months had passed and Jude was fully ready for the quidditch match against Hufflepuff. The only thing he hoped for was that he didn't get injured. He would be fine as long as Albus didn't play. The only reason he was thinking that was because it was Hufflepuff seeker Paul Beckett's last year, and he was looking very murderous. He could feel his knees shaking just at the sight of the 7th year.

He really didn't want to die today.

Which was why his teammates found him holding onto one of the benches in the locker room.

"Jude," Emma sighed exasperatedly as James and Louis tugged on the resisting boy's legs. "This is not the time to be scared. The game starts in 5 minutes."

"I don't wanna die today!" Jude babbled between his sobs. "I have too much to live for!"

Ignoring Leon's snort, Olivia crossed her arms and glared at the crying boy, "Porter!"

At the sound of the captain's commanding voice, everyone froze in place. Olivia shook her head in disappointment, "I can't believe you're letting this get to you. Jude, you've been injured almost every single game we've had. You've had head injuries, back injuries, and from the rumors, you've fought a dark wizard who's trying to kill you, and now you're crying about a 7th year _Hufflepuff_ trying to beat you? Really, Jude?"

Jude sniffled, his cheeks heating in embarrassment, as he finally let go of the bench, "You're right. M'sorry." He took his glasses off to clean them and wipe his eyes, "I'm just really nervous is all."

Olivia patted his shoulder firmly, "Best time to be brave. Now come on before I bring in Albus Potter to replace your scrawny arse."

The blue eyed boy snapped up straight, "I'm fine, Captain."

She grinned, "Now that's what I like to hear. Let's go, everyone."

They cheered as they walked out of the locker room finally. Once they stepped on the pitch, they mounted their brooms and shot into the air with the Hufflepuff team. After Neville gave the instructions, every person shot off around the pitch.

Jude swallowed his fear even as Beckett was glaring at him. He could do this. He had beat 7th years before. This was going to be no problem for him.

The crowd cheered just as the 6th year Slytherin announcer continued her commentary, "_And Thorne gives Gryffindor 10 points in the lead._"

The blue-eyed boy exhaled anxiously, his hands tightening around his broomstick. He had to concentrate and calm his pounding heart so he could hear the fluttering of the snitch.

It was only minutes later, after much scoring for each team, did Jude finally spy the quick snitch. He shot off towards it, feeling Beckett just behind him moments after.

"_Porter has found the snitch. It seems like Beckett is not willing to lose this year. Let's see who will catch it first._"

Jude was so focused on the snitch in front of him as he flew higher into the air that he didn't notice anything near him until the hood of his robe was thrown over his eyes.

"What the-!" He tried to push his hood back, only to feel it tugged down more forcefully. He cried out when he felt himself slip off his broom, "AAAAHHHHH!"

He grunted when his body collided with Beckett's, throwing the other seeker off his broom as well. Jude was finally able to throw his hood back just as he landed on his own broom.

He reacted quickly, shooting his arm out to catch Beckett before he fell towards the pitch. He groaned, feeling the broom fall with the extra weight. He gritted his teeth, ignoring Beckett's cries, and flew towards the snitch.

He caught it in under a minute, hearing the cheers as he held his arm high to show everyone. He let both himself and Beckett down, massing his over worked arm.

"Good job, Porter!" Olivia exclaimed happily as she ruffled his hair.

Beckett huffed, shaking his head before saying begrudgingly, "Thanks, Porter."

Jude gave a small smile, "No problem."

He was then glomped by Louis who shouted, "Three cheers for Porter!"

The audience cheered with the Gryffindor quidditch team. Jude grinned happily before glancing at the sky; what was that?


End file.
